English Reference

Word

foal

US/ˈfoʊɫ/

UK/fˈəʊl/

Definitions

01young horse

B2

n. a young horse, especially one that is less than a year old.

n. a young horse or related equine, typically under one year of age.

“The mare stood in the field watching her young foal run around.”

“The breeder noted that the foal was remarkably sturdy for being only two days old, showing great promise for future racing.”

Synonyms

02to give birth

C1

v. when a horse gives birth to a baby horse.

v. to give birth to a foal; used both with and without a direct object.

“The farmer stayed up all night waiting for the horse to foal.”

“Veterinarians recommend monitoring the mare closely during the final weeks before she is expected to foal to ensure a safe delivery.”

Technical

Usage

The verb is often used intransitively in a general sense or transitively when specifying the offspring.

Synonyms

03mining assistant

C2 · Science

n. a young boy who helped move coal tubs in old mines.

n. a young boy employed in coal mines to assist a headsman by pushing or pulling coal tubs.

“In the nineteenth century, a young foal would work long hours in the dark mines.”

“Historical records from the northern collieries describe the harsh conditions faced by the foal as he assisted the more experienced hewers.”

Archaic · Dialect · Technical

Teaching tip

This sense is highly specific to British coal mining history and is not used in modern conversation.

Synonyms

Real-World Examples

“One foal was born on the island this year, and the community hopes for a few more next year.”
The Guardian · 28 Sept 2026

Etymology

From Middle English fole, from Old English fola, from Proto-West Germanic folō, from Proto-Germanic fulô, from pre-Germanic pl̥Hon-, from Proto-Indo-European pōlH- (“animal young”) (cognate with Saterland Frisian Foole, West Frisian fôle, foalle, Dutch veulen, German Low German Fohl, German Fohlen, Fohle, Swedish fåle; compare also Ancient Greek πῶλος (pôlos), Latin pullus, Albanian pelë (“mare”), Old Armenian ուլ (ul, “kid, fawn”). Related to filly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

Domain

Mining

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference